The Enemy of My Enemy
by Sorrow Reminisce
Summary: While Odin looks to test Jane's mettle, Asgard comes under threat, forcing Jane to work with Loki to stop it. But Loki's schemes - as treacherous as they are clever - tend to benefit no one but himself. Can the enemy of the enemy be a friend? Will the Trickster betray them all? And will it eventuate into a Lokane fic? The answer to that may well be a part of Odin's test.. Thor 2 AU
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This is a Thor The Dark World **AU**. While parts of the story are _inspired by_ a few key events of the Thor 2 trailer, it will largely veer away from/twists the spoilers I've heard so far. Jane's test is inspired by comic lore. For reasons known only to Odin, Loki and Jane are forced to work together, somewhat. Will it eventuate into a Lokane fic? Well, I'm not a shipper at all in this fandom, but for the sake of the story... Who knows? I can tell you that much of Odin's test is riding on very same question.

PS: If you're reading this Drea Jackman, I'm sorry for stealing your fic title. Fortunately, it's being used on a different fandom. :P

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**The Enemy of My Enemy**

**- Prologue -**

"Go! Take her from here Loki!"

_"No!" _Jane took two stumbling paces towards the Thunder God. "Not without _you _Thor!"

But he had already turned to face the dark elves, hammer swinging large circles in his mighty grip.

"Foolish girl!" The words hissed in her ear as a strong hand grasped her arm and pulled her back, holding tight against her thrashings. "Look before you. Do you think he can do anything but stay and fight? He is right. We must go."

Jane cast her eyes wildly around, searching for another answer even as the enemy surged forward.

"Come now!" Slender fingers dug in painfully as Loki tugged her back, towards the hillside of scrub and rock from where they had come. Still, Jane resisted, watching as Thor drove his hammer to the ground, sending dozens of their enemy hurtling backwards, only to be replaced by another wave of elvish warriors.

"_Thor will find us!_ Come now, before I'm forced to hoist you over my shoulder!"

Jane looked away from the battlefield then, to meet Loki's fierce green gaze as he stood glowering before her. He would do it, of that she had no doubt. Nodding, she stumbled towards him as he tugged her arm again. His iron-like vice both holding her upright and preventing her from escape, as they made their way back towards the dark path.

Thor would find them. Loki promised. Though Jane wondered if Loki's assurances carried as much weight as his honour, which carried none at all. Still, he needed them as much as they needed him. If Thor could bank his trust on this, so would she. There was no other choice.

Loki glanced over his shoulder and met Jane's troubled eyes with a dark smile, and she saw then how his green orbs seemed devoid of their spark. Empty. Like the dead universe he'd once fallen into.

She began to fight against him then; a chill of foreboding rippling down her spine in a wave of fear. But the dark God held on tight, dragging her painfully now, away from the battlefield, and away from Thor. And she realised then, they'd made a mistake.

Sometimes the enemy of your enemy was not always your friend.

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**- Chapter One -**

Of all the terms and conditions Jane expected the Allfather to lay out when Thor bought her before him, this one had never entered her mind. Thor had been equally surprised, though for different reasons; an outraged roar of protest escaping his lips even as his father sought to silence him with a steely glare that left no room for argument.

At the time, Jane had felt giddy with relief and wondered why Thor could be so rocked by the decision. At the time, she had thought the Allfather was letting her off lightly. Of course, she was but a mere mortal, stumbling blind in a realm of beings so much greater and far-seeing than she. What was she to know about tests and tasks and all that was hidden within even the simplest of them?

And so Thor led her deep into the underbelly of Asgard where his excommunicated brother, Loki _Laufeyson_, was serving an immortal's life sentence. As they made their descent, Thor cautioned her, only half in jest, to keep her head down and avoid his brother's gaze; least she find herself susceptible to his trickster charm.

Jane nodded absently, her mind reeling over how her life would change once she'd completed this ordeal; what she would become. Odin would bestow immortality upon her and she would be accepted upon Asgard as Thor's future wife and Queen. It was an accumulation of absurd childhood fantasies turned into a strange and monumental reality.

And not one she was entirely sure she was ready or willing for, in the deepest darkest doubting recesses of her mind. Though, this seed of indecision had not yet taken root - so awed was she still by the wonders of Asgard and the larger-than-life beings who lived within it. She would save matrimonial doubts for another day - why ruin a fantastical dream with the crushing burden of reality just yet?

To her left, Jane was aware of Thor glancing to her and on a sudden whim she grabbed one large hand between her two small palms and tugged the Thunder God to a halt, bouncing on her toes as she gave his hand a firm squeeze; as if to press some of her exuberance into him and force his furrowed brow to smooth out with one of his easy grins.

Allowing her a moment's indulgence, Thor mustered the ghost of a smile and raised his free hand to her chin, lightly tracing her jawline before tucking a stray hair behind her ears and sweeping his fingertips to the nape of her neck. "Jane..." His frown deepened. "You don't understand what's at play here."

"So, explain it to me then?" Though she tried to keep her tone upbeat, frustration drove a small wedge into Jane's carefree joviality as she stilled herself before his gaze. "I'm being sent to visit your mentally unstable brother. It's not going to be an easy task. I get that. But he's locked up, his magic's bound, there'll be guards within screaming distance..." Jane flashed a light-hearted smile and rubbed her thumb lightly across his cheek. "How hard can this be?"

"I fear you're not taking this task seriously Jane." Thor's troubled voice rumbled as he caught her hand in his own. "You don't realize what you're being asked to endure."

Jane shook her head, exasperation evident now. "To be perfectly honest Thor, it's a little unfair that I'm being asked to endure _anything_ without any forewarning."

"Loki's magic may be bound, but he still has a silvertongue, and his skill at using it is -"

"So I'm at risk of being _licked_ to death?" Jane laughed, unable to resist the quip.

"What?" Thor rocked backwards, both horrified and baffled by her implication. "Loki is no monster!"

"Relax." Jane tilted her head with a smile as she gave his hand a squeeze. "I was making a joke."

"My brother is no joke, Jane." Thor's voice was tight and troubled. "You'd do well to remember that."

Jane nodded, suddenly sobered. "Ah I'm sorry Thor, that was rash of me. I just open my mouth and words come out..."

"Never mind." Thor leant in and lightly touched his lips to her own before pulling away with an earnest smile, "Just know that his power lies in his words, and he'll wield them like a weapon. But I believe if anyone's smart enough to deflect him, it will be you."

Pulling back, Thor swept her hands up in his own, clasping them to his chest as he flashed one of his easy grins. "Now my Jane, shall we carry forward?"

Unable to find words as she sought to process his own, Jane simply nodded, and their journey continued once more. This time, in amiable silence.

xxxx xoxox xxxx xox xxxx xoxox xxxx

She felt his eyes upon her as she stepped up to his glass cell, beyond the pillared stone foyer.

Her skin crept beneath his scrutiny and for the first time since Odin's task had been laid before her, Jane felt foreboding settled around her like a frozen blanket; it's weight pressing down until she balked, her feet refusing to take another step further. This conniving bastard was the man who had tried to enslave her planet! How could she have believed _this_ would be an easy task?

"Jane?" Thor shifted his body so that he blocked her from Loki's sight, and turned worried eyes upon her as his hands gently cupped her shoulders. "Are you unwell?"

With a curt shake of her head, Jane squeezed her eyes tightly shut, telling herself to _suck it up_. "Mm fine. I just need a moment."

Pulling her close, Thor wrapped his arms around her as she dropped her head against his chest and allowed his warmth to comfort her. "Remember Jane, Loki will seek to hurt you with his words, but he can do no more to you than that."

"Tell me again, why I have to do this? Why _him_? Is there no one else?" Jane's happy-go-lucky ease had quickly worn off upon entering the cold stone pillared dungeon, and she raised her eyes to Thor's and searched his wide honest face. "Seriously, why does it feel like I'm being punished?"

"Ah my Jane, there is no punishment in this, I promise you." Laying a gentle kiss upon her brow before she could protest, Thor stroked his palm between her shoulder blades in long fluid movements, as if by doing so he could sweep away her fears. "There may be another with whom we can consult, but Loki is most knowledgeable on this and... Mortals do not enter into our ranks. Not ever. Father seeks to test your mettle."

"My mettle. Well that's great." Jane cocked her head and smiled. "Does asking SHIELD for my stuff back count enough as mettle?"

"You'll do fine." Tipping her chin with his fingertip, Thor met her eyes. "You're strong, brave, and smart. I only hope my brother fails to see these qualities in you, lest he too finds cause to fall in love with Jane Foster."

Still unaccustomed to hearing admissions of love fall from the lips of a God, Jane opened her mouth and closed it wordlessly before scrubbing away the hot blush that rose to her cheeks. She grinned and ducked her head, hoping Thor didn't expect a reply. Or at least, not a coherent one.

Satisfied that her concerns had been alleviated, Thor turned back towards his brother's crystal cell and waited for Jane to fall in beside him. "He can do no harm." He reaffirmed once more beneath his breath as he led her forward.

Nodding with forced bravery, Jane maintained an apparent studied interest of the stone steps, despite a compelling urge to lift her eyes and meet the gaze of the man who had tried to bring her world trembling to its knees.

"Why do you bring the mortal into the underbelly of Asgard? Do you tire of her so quickly that you wish to rid her so?" The Trickster God's soft whisper rang out, hanging in the air like a gentle threat as a cold shiver crawl ran down Jane's spine at his implication. "You always have been _so generous_ in sending me your castoffs when done with them"

"Curb your liar's tongue, least you'd like it removed from your mouth." Thor's voice was level, his composure carefully controlled, but Jane could feel his tension through her fingers as she curled one hand tighter around his arm. "She comes by will of our father."

"_Our_ father, Odinson? Come now, you don't wish to go over this again, do you?"

The contempt in the younger God's smooth cold voice was almost tangible, and for the first time Jane wondered why she'd never thought to ask Thor of the bitter history he and Loki shared.

"For the moment, no." Jane's heart wrenched at the thinly-veiled anguish in Thor's voice. "But it is a conversation we must have, in good time Loki."

"Ah, of course. It is a discussion not fit for a lady's ears, as it will only end in violence." Loki sighed, though all in the room knew his regret was only a lie. "As it always does."

"Jane is here at the Allfather's request, and you will not harm her." Thor's authoritative boom rode overtop of Loki's snake-like hiss as he stepped towards a section of stone wall beside Loki's cell. "Now I will remind you to stand back and not attempt anything foolish as we enter."

Pressing his hand against a stone almost triangular in shape, Thor beckoned Jane forward as a portion of the wall slid back to reveal a doorway. Stepping through with just a moment's hesitation, Jane found herself in a small dimly lit alcove where she stood before another door. Once the first slid to a close, Thor activated the second, and brilliant white light poured into the alcove from Loki's cell beyond.

Sparing a glance towards Thor, Jane stepped into the cell, her eyes flicking to Loki long enough to take in a slim dark haired figure dressed in black and green. Surprise caused her to hitch her breath. News coverage had shown an imposing figure larger than life - a towering God of near indestructible strength. This figure who sat neatly on a chair with a book on his lap looked like a slender branch, incapable of holding his own against a strong gust of wind, let alone Earth's mightiest heroes.

"So this is the woman who turned the Odinson's mind to _myrr_." Cold laughter lifted the Trickster's voice as he rose from his seat and stepped softly towards her; his height and strength becoming deceptively apparent with each step. "The poor thing looks like a lamb on her way to the slaughter. Who would have known you like your _whores_ so meek?"

"You dare!" Thor roared and moved to pass Jane, but she surprised them both; rising on her toes, swinging her fist and connecting solidly with Loki's jaw. The young God's head rocked to one side, the blow unexpected, but when he swung his head back there was a smirk of satisfaction on his face. "Oh. Now I see the attraction."

Surprised at her own action and fighting the need to clutch her stinging knuckles, Jane chided, "That's for insulting me. I still owe you for New York."

Thor's head rocked back in laughter then. "Not so meek after all, aye little brother?" And then he did step past Jane, to clasp Loki around the neck and draw him close. "But if you refer to her as a whore again, I will sew your lips together myself."

Unperturbed, Loki's lips curled in invitation, before his expression fell to mock dismay. "So I'm not your favourite anymore then?"

Knowing any response would only encourage Loki further, Thor released his brother with a light backwards shove and changed the subject, his tone firm and commanding. "Jane is a scientist on her world. She has been trying to create a bridg-"

"I am well aware of who Jane Foster is and what she does." Loki cut in with a wave of his hand, his tone bored. "Yet I'm not sure why I should care?"

"We need to rebuild the bifrost. It is not safe to continue using the Tesseract as a power source. The Allfather has asked Jane to speak with you. He believes you can help us find a better way to harness its power."

Loki blinked. "The Allfather thinks to ask _me_ for help? Oh now this is amusing!" He clapped his hands together, mischievous delight written across his face. "But why should I? He has done nothing for me. He can't even come down here to ask me himself!"

Then Loki paused and his lip quirked as he fought a smile. "Have his knees grown weak? There are a lot of steps to negotiate, I must admit. And I couldn't possibly agree to his request without first making him _kneel_."

"_Our father_ is busy fighting a war." Thor countered. "The Realms are falling to ruin and every day our enemies close in. If we can't restore order now, all will be lost."

"Oh Thor, stop being so pessimistic!" Loki stepped away and picked up a book, flicking through it, absent-minded. "What's wrong with a bit of war? It's character building."

His hand hovered above a page as he looked up with wolfish grin and glittering eyes. "Don't you think?"

"I think you're wasting our time." Jane interrupted, grabbing Thor's arm. "Let's figure out something else. Clearly your brother's as mad as a March Hare. I wouldn't work with him if you paid me."

Tugging hard to move Thor towards the door, Jane finally felt his body budge when Loki's voice rang out, "Well then, perhaps if Jane Foster is so unwilling to be in my company, I might agree to assist her after all."

Thor placed his hand over Jane's own, cautioning her to wait. "Why? Why would her discomfort change your mind?"

Slowly, Jane turned and met Loki's eyes, half-reluctant to hear his answer.

"I'm bored." He shrugged."That is all."

"Bored?" Thor repeated in disbelief.

"Well if you wish me to elaborate.." Loki's lips curled into a lecherous sneer. "Watching your beloved squirm with unease would give me such _pleasure_."

Jane stepped forward, outraged. "You sleazy bastard! Little wonder your family d-"

Thor's hands at her shoulders and warm breath at her ear stilled her. "No Jane. He seeks only to bait you for his amusement. Do not allow him the satisfaction."

Closing her eyes, she fought a retort, then finally gave a small tight nod and breathed deep. "Okay. Well, least I wasn't stuck having to grow up with him I 'spose."

Returning his attention to Loki, Thor turned solemn. "Another thing. Mother is unwell."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Unwell?"

"It's true. She is not herself." Thor hesitated, unsure of how much information he could trust his brother to. "We believe there is a dark blight affixed to her."

"And you tell me this as some kind of afterthought?" Loki's soft tone pitched. "_He_ doesn't want me to know, does he? The Allfather will allow me to hold the Tesseract, yet he won't ask me to aid our mother? _Why?_"

So she's _our_ mother again? Thor pondered thoughtfully, but did not say aloud. Instead he replied, "We are not fool enough to allow you near the Tesseract, Loki. We merely seek your counsel. There was once a time when your words carried wisdom. I have hope they can again."

Loki fell silent then, his lips caught on the edge of a sneer that faltered; uncertain. After a pause, he sighed and closed his eyes, as if seeking consult from within. His bearing had changed from smug to weary, like a glamour slipping from his face. When his eyes snapped open, neither Thor nor Jane could gauge what lay within his blank expression. They could have been staring into a void.

"I will help you." He answered at last. "But I have two requests in return."

Thor's eyes narrowed, knowing Loki's boons were likely to be disagreeable to all but Loki. "Go on." He supplied, warily.

"You will tell me all you know of mother's condition."

After a beat, Thor nodded. Grim, but resolute.

A flicker of emotion crossed Loki's face then, before the mask slipped into place once more and his lips curled into a wicked grin. "And I will work with Jane _alone_."

"What?!" Jane snorted. "I hardly think _that's_ going to hap -"

"There will be guards posted in the foyer." Thor spoke overtop of Jane as he countered Loki's demand.

"Of course." Loki concurred. Crocodile smile splitting wide.

"Wait!" Jane's chagrin went ignored and she tried again, this time her voice snapping the air like a whip. "Hey! Do I get a say in this or what!"

Both men fell into chastised silence but it was Loki who turned to her first with a sideways glance, villainous smile melting into charm. "Why of course dear Jane! What would you like to say?"

Jane stopped then, thrown off by the Trickster's change in countenance. She opened her mouth, closed it, then spared a glance to Thor who waited expectantly with arms folded across chest, thoughtful frown in place.

"Well, uh…" She slid her attention back to Loki, but found herself feeling foolish beneath his wide-eyed, deceptively innocent stare. As if her concerns were nothing but paranoia. How could she call him out on being a psychopathic serial killer when he looked so innocent and _amiable_?

"Oh it's… It's nothing…" She heard herself say. And then she clapped a hand over her traitorous mouth. He's trying to deceive me, she realised. Somehow, he's working his tricks.

Standing taller as realisation gave way to indignation and indignation fell to annoyance, Jane found her spirit. "Without Thor present, what would stop you from killing me? What would stop you from snapping my neck in revenge against your brother? Against humanity?"

Loki chuckled, the planes of his face shifting back into their default of scorn as he realising his ruse had been uncovered. "Where would the fun be in that? Oh no Jane, I'd require far more than _your_ death if I wanted revenge against… well anything really."

"Loki stop this." Thor's voice boomed. "Jane, you will be quite safe here. There will be guards - "

"So if your crazy-ass brother tries to strangle me, the guards will be faster than his hands?" Jane asked, incredulous.

"Loki would not do that." Thor forced conviction into his words, but at the heart of them even he couldn't be sure. Once, he would have sworn his brother would never stoop to harming an unarmed woman. But then, once he would have sworn Loki would never murder a man in cold blood, or try to force his twisted rule upon an entire world…

"Look, you don't have to agree to these terms Jane." Loki held out his hands in entreat. "This decision can only be made by you. And you can, of course, say no."

"And if I did? What then?"

"Well.." Loki shrugged. "I imagine the Allfather barely tolerates your presence here in Asgard now…" His tone took on a bitter edge. "He's not overly fond of allowing other races into his realm, unless of course, they can serve some kind of purpose for him. And you're not doing much of a job puzzling out that Bifrost issue on your own, are you?"

Thor stepped forward, "Loki you cannot keep holding this grud-"

"Ah ah!" Loki waggled a finger at the Thunder God. "Do not interrupt Odinson; your lady was about to speak!"

"No I'm not." Jane paused, stumbling on her words. "I mean, I'm not getting far with the Bridge. And I guess without your help…"

"People will die? Worlds will be reduced to motes of dust? Scattered through the universe?" Loki grinned. "Of course, this could be just what I'm hoping for, you know. And your fears may be correct. I may just be luring you like a fly to my web -"

"Loki end this foolishness and give us an answer!" Thor bellowed. "Will you help us or not!"

"I've given you my terms!" Loki exclaimed, rankled. "The choice is now Jane's to make. I was just laying out her options."

At that the two Gods turned to Jane, but her attention was now resolutely taken up by the underneath of her fingernails, which seemed to hold invisible dirt for her to scrape out.

Finally, the weight of their stares became too much and she looked up, meeting first the warm blue eyes of Thor, and then the smug green gaze of his brother's.

"I need your word that you won't try to kill me. Or maim me, for that matter." Jane frowned, wondering if his word was actually worth anything.

"Jane, Jane…" Loki sighed. "What can I say? Do you really believe I wish to bring Ragnarok upon us? If the worlds go to Hel in a handbasket, I won't have a place to live so in a sense, we fight for a common _good_. So to speak."

"So you're saying the enemy of my enemy is my friend?" Jane asked skeptically.

"Indeed!" The Trickster God grinned from ear to ear, showing far too many teeth than Jane was comfortable with.

Like the Cheshire Cat. Jane thought. Sinister and mysterious. And probably up to no good. And I'm Alice. And this is Wonderland. And.. Oh...

"God I'm gonna regret this, aren't I?" It was a rhetorical question, but still Loki's eyes gleamed victorious as he opened his mouth to reply.

"No, you shut up! Don't you say another word!" Jane demanded. "Or I'll change my mind."

"You'll agree then?" Thor's face relaxed into a beaming smile - such a stark contrast to the self-satisfied smirk his brother currently wore.

"Yes!" Jane rubbed a hand across her brow, wondering with despair what Eric would say if he were to see her now. "But.. This afternoon. Give me a couple hours to enjoy the light and laughter of Asgard - preferably in a tavern with beer as cold as ice - before I have to come back down here and endure _him_."

"Agreed!" Thor exclaimed, clapping one strong arm around Jane's shoulders and the other around his brother - who sidled out of his embrace at once, brushing at his clothes as if to remove dirt.

"Agreed." Loki's reply was cool and clipped; half-pleasant facade dropped now that the deal was struck. "Now leave me. I too fear this is a decision I'll come to regret - enduring this mortal for fifteen minutes has been taxing enough. I don't know how I'll cope with her for longer."

He ran his eyes over the two of them then, and pressed his lips together in distaste. "You two are well suited for each other."

Thor raised an eyebrow speculatively as he looked to Jane. "I think he likes you."

"Get me the hell outta here." She huffed, dragging Thor to the near-hidden cell door without a backwards glance to the imprisoned God.

And that was how the downward spiral began.

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**END NOTE:** Apologies for the crappy characterisation. I don't often write so much dialogue, and I've realised how crap crap crapity I am at it. I'm trying to portray Loki less as a hell-bent-for-vengence homocidal maniac, and more a crazy-ass but self-assured trickster. One who changes his mask depending on what best serves his purposes at the time - and his purposes may be just as much for his own amusement as for some dark ulterior motive. (Hey he's had a year with Frigga's self-help books to reform. We'll explain the hows and why's of that one later...) Anyway, what do you think? Like it? Hate it? Feedback is always appreciated! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thank you so much to those who have reviewed, and I'm sorry I haven't replied to those who signed in. I do really appreciate your feedback. As out of practice with fic writing as I am, I'm really looking forward to catching up with the prologue and what takes place beyond it. I know there's many aspects to this story that I should have made a better effort to think through or explain, but I hope you bear with me while I try to get back into the swing of writing again... Your critique is greatly appreciated - as is a simple ' like it' or 'don't like it'! :)

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**Chapter Two**

Jane Foster was never comfortable with seminars and workshops. If she could attend them via conference call, she would. She would do the same with social functions too, if such a thing were possible. Social events… They had a tendency to make her nervous. And it wasn't just a case of clammy hands that would wear off after a wine or two. No, every so often, she'd find herself experiencing a full scale panic attack that would send the walls closing in. She'd feel every eye in the room turn their attention to her distress, even if no one was actually looking.

Over the years, she learnt to manage the social anxiety. She was a strong-willed woman who took to a challenge like it was a personal vendetta, and she devised methods to deal with the pressing feeling of being smothered beneath the weight of strangers stares, until it really was nothing more than clammy hands and a rosy blush.

That was, until she found herself alone in an Asgardian prison cell with Earth's mightiest war criminal.

Having returned to Loki's cell in the afternoon as agreed, Jane didn't believe Thor would _really_ leave her alone with his brother. She thought he'd demand - in that last instant - to be present while she and Loki discussed an alternative power source for the bifrost.

But it seemed Thor's faith in his brother was incurable. He didn't touch Loki when he issued him a warning to keep his distance from Jane, but his stance and tone were threat enough - not that Loki's smirk faltered for a moment. No doubt knowing the ever-optimistic Thor would never touch a hair on his head, whatever his words might imply.

Then the Thunder God was wrapping his warm arms around her in a hug that was chaste and yet disconcertingly intimate in a cell with his creepy brother for audience. But the trickster rolled his eyes and turned away as they said their goodbyes, allowing Jane a moment to lean into the comfort of Thor's embrace before he was spinning on his heel and stepping to the door. Leaving her alone in this dungeon with a lunatic.

Determined to keep her chin up and hide her apprehension, Jane watched Thor pass the energy shield before settling her gaze upon his dark brother with all the forced bravery she could muster. He sat at his ornately carved writing desk, mannerism casual with long legs stretched out before him, one ankle crossed over the other, arms loosely folded and customary smirk fixed firmly in place.

Her mind blank, Jane stood frozen in the middle of the cell as she racked her brain for something to say; something to fill the awkward silence that was growing like a chasm between them. But words had fled her, and the smirking bastard sprawled lazily upon his high-and-mighty chair knew it.

As if reading her mind, Loki unfurled himself from his seat and rose fluidly to his feet. Eyes glinting, he stalked towards her, his smile enigmatic as his tongue flicked out to moisten his lips. The movement momentarily drew her eyes to his mouth and she quickly cast her head down, discomfort growing as a thread of sweat slipped down her back, to pool at the base of her spine.

"Jane." Loki sniffed with disdain as he stopped before her. "You fascinate me. I'm yet to understand what it is about you that has my poor brother so _enthralled_."

Swallowing nervously, Jane fought for calm against a tide of anxiety she could feel rising within her. Animals can smell fear, she thought to herself, feeling not at all guilty for likening Loki to a beast when he clearly intended to act as one.

"You'll never understand, Loki." The words felt thick upon her tongue, but she forced them out anyway. "Sociopaths never do."

"Oh?" His eyes alighted in mock surprise. "A clinical assessment from an astrophysicist. Wrong profession, don't you think?

"Look," Jane started brusquely as she stepped away, gaining strength now that she had forced those first words through. 'Let's get on with this, huh? What can you tell me about the Tesseract?"

"So eager to uncover the secrets of the universe Jane, you can't even take a moment to grant me a polite hello?" Loki purred. "No 'how do you do' or 'care for a honeyed wine before I pick your brains?' "

"Polite hello? Honeyed wine?" Jane frowned. "Why would I want to..."

"No, of course you wouldn't, would you?" Loki cast his eyes down with an exaggerated sigh. "No one ever thinks of these things. They just leave me here, forgotten until they have use of me, but never thinking to ask if there's anything _I_ might want."

Jane gaped, astonishment and anger warring for center stage. "Why the hell should _you_ have the right to ask for anything? _You_ of all people! If I had my way, you'd be back on Earth facing _our_ retribution for what you did! And I can tell you now, you wouldn't be sitting in a nice cell with the comfort of books and beautiful furniture!"

"No, I suppose not." Loki murmured, his voice low and flat. "If you had your way, I'd be dead, wouldn't I?"

As Jane opened her mouth to exclaim her affirmation, he took a half step closer. "No no, don't just _react_ - think about where you're going with this."

Step by step her drew closer, while she backed away. "Would you, Jane Foster? _Would_ you have me dead?"

And then the flash of metal caught her eye and she saw he held a silver dagger in his hand. How had she not noticed before now?

"Here, take it. Slip it between my ribs and drive it up into my heart." Loki stretched his pale hand out towards her, his fingers lightly holding the blade as he offered her the hilt. "Do it for your precious humanity. No one will blame you for it - you'll be hailed a hero."

He said the words so easily as he presented the slender weapon. As if shooting the breeze rather than offering her the opportunity to end his life and seek retribution for his crimes against her world.

And that was when Jane Foster was hit the first full-scale panic attack she'd experienced in several years. It struck with the ferocity of the hundred others she'd managed to suppress.

Back pressed against the smooth white wall she had come up against, Jane fought to keep the walls from closing in on her as the room swam. Her vision blurred and she blinked hard, squinting against the hot rush of blood that felt like it were pushing the inside of her head outwards.

Just breathe, she told herself as she fought the blackness and the stomach-churning nausea. _Breathe_. The crushing pressure behind her eyes intensified and she brought her hands up over her face, as if by doing so she could hold herself together. All previous technique fled her mind, leaving her with no weapon but the desire to hold the world in place. And with that, she fought.

Slowly, slowly, she pushed it back. The dizzying darkness. The blood thumping in her ears. _Come on Jane, fight it._ The voice of conscience continued to urge, until bit by bit the tension receded. And as her vision cleared, she was aware that Loki still stood before her with hand outstretched. The silver still glinting in his hand.

But now in place of a dagger he seemed to be holding a cup, and his dark smile had softened into one of concern, although it failed to reach his eyes - their bright gleam suggesting he was enjoying her discomfort far more than he should.

'What.." Jane started through clenched teeth. "...the hell game are you playing?"

"I don't know what you're talking about?" Loki replied innocently, beckoning the cup towards her. "Water? I'm sorry I can't offer you anything more satisfyi-"

"The dagger! " The tightness in her head began to return. This time out of frustration. "Where's the _dagger_ you had before!"

"Come now Jane," Loki's tone took on that of an adult trying to reason with a young child. "Do you really think they'd allow me anything sharper than a spoon?" Then with a nonplussed shrug he added, "Mere illusion."

"Illusion?" Jane repeated, disbelieving. "Thor said your magic was blocked in here."

"Ah, of course. Well I suppose I must have stolen it from a guard." He frowned thoughtfully as he stared into the middle distance. "But... They never come in to the cell. Which could either mean I've found a way past the wards of this cell to practice magic, or I've found a way past the wards to escape. And steal daggers. And bring them back in again."

He met Jane's eyes then and the challenge was unmistakable. "Which theory do you think would sound most plausible to Thor?"

His question brought to Jane's mind a third option and she smiled, knowing the correct answer was her own. "Or, you stole it from Thor while he was standing in the cell."

"Do you really think I could be that deft?" Loki quirked an eyebrow as his lip curled into a slow grin.

"Are you kidding?" Jane folded her hands across her chest and faced him with a glare. "Try sly, underhanded, devious, and I'm pretty sure we could throw _scheming traitorous scum bag_ in there too."

"Jane, you compliment me!"

Much to her chagrin, Loki's delight appeared genuine.

"Uh, no I don't." Sidling away, Jane invited herself to his chair, expression triumphant at her small theft even as she perched uneasily at the edge of the seat. "Can we talk about the Bifrost now please? You said yourself Odin isn't happy to accommodate any who can't pay their due, and -"

She stopped herself, aghast. "He can hear me, can't he?"

"Of course." Loki's grin widened as Jane paled. "Well, in the sense he can hear whatever Heimdall chooses to relay to him. The Gatekeeper is all-seeing. But only if he casts his eyes in our direction."

The trickster's semi-comforting tone was quickly quashed when he added after a moment's carefully timed thought, "Hmm, the chance of which is likely, if Thor is at his shoulder."

His expression tightened then. "But don't worry, I'm sure your words are quite safe from the Allfather's tender ears. Whatever oath of fealty Heimdall has made to his King, his loyalty will always be first and foremost to my brother. Of that you can be certain."

Jane nodded silently, sensing a story behind Loki's words, but unwilling to press any further.

Snapping out of his reverie, Loki stepped towards the desk. Reaching over Jane, he opened the huge leather bound book that lay before her and gently thumbed through it until he reached a full page illustration of a woman suspended in the air.

Biting her cheek against an Asgardian Penthouse remark, Jane frowned at the runic text on the opposite page - not that she stood a chance of understanding any of it. "Loki, what does any of this have to do with the Bifrost?"

"Oh this has nothing to do with the Bifrost," he snorted, stepping around her to sit against the desk. "I want to know what's happening to my mother. Thor said a dark blight is affixed to her. What exactly did he mean?"

Jane turned in her seat then, mouth opening in protest.

"If you're going to ask again about the Bifrost, I'll not hear another word." Loki frowned. "There are more pressing issues at hand than whether the Tesseract's energy will turn Heimdall mad with power-lust."

"Are you _kidding_?" Jane gaped, ignoring the dark God's impatient hiss. "Is that even possible? I just thought with it's energy being so unstable - "

"The energy is stable." Loki corrected, his voice tense and controlled, "it's the wielding of such energy that is in need of refinement."

Jane watched a small vein appear in Loki's forehead, as if the speaking of the Tesseract was an effort. "You miss it, don't you?" She mused aloud. "All that power at your hands? You're like an addict in need of a fix."

"You take a risk," Loki snarled, "speaking to me thus."

"Just callin' it how I see it." Beneath the nonchalance of her words, Jane's voice shook and she cursed herself inwardly. Loki was a creature who could so easily snap her neck without a care for remorse - what the hell was she thinking?

The look he shot her in that instant suggested he shared the same thought, and she fidgeted uncomfortably beneath his cool glare.

"The Tesseract is an object of unrivaled power and infinite uses." He continued, his words measured as if speaking to an imbecile. "It is a key to the universe; the knowledge of which is limited only by the minds of those who wield it."

"And your great mind would have been the perfect conduit, huh?" The words came out despite herself.

"For someone who all but collapsed in sheer panic a short while ago, you seem determined to bait me, don't you?" Loki admonished. "_Why_?"

"I like to walk on the wild side?" She offered feebly, resigned to whatever fate her flappety-flappy mouth had led her to. 'Live fast, die young?"

"My, you are a brave soul, aren't you? I expected you to be a cowering idiot, and yet you continue to boldly test the boundaries of my patience with little care for consequence." Loki's tone lifted in wry amusement. "I'm impressed."

Unsure of how to answer ( or of whether he'd actually offered a compliment or an insult), Jane frowned and rubbed a hand across her head. The short time she'd spent in Loki's company suddenly felt like it was stretching into forever - one minute it seemed her words would earn her a scathing rebuke, and then next he was all but laughing at her. The effort to keep up with the bipolar workings of his mind was exhausting.

Abandoning her perch on the edge of the chair, Jane crossed to the stack of hardcover books in the corner of the cell. With her back to Loki, she breathed a quick quiet sigh of relief to be away from his disconcertingly close proximity. Not that a few feet made much difference, but at least with his books as a diversion she could take a moment to gather her thoughts and try again to make him co-operate with the Bifrost issue.

"Do you expect to find anything you can read?" He sniggered, reclaiming his seat.

Throwing a withering look over her shoulder, Jane picked up the first book on the stack. An ancient looking treasure with a hard, weathered cover and brittle pages that crackled as she gently pried them open.

Jane rocked back on her heels in surprise to find carefully drawn star charts mapping out galaxies so far removed from her own, she couldn't begin to grasp their location. Forgetting Loki completely, Jane settled herself on the floor and feasted her eyes upon the maps, eager to unravel the secrets the book held. After several pages, she came to a page of text, and groaned inwardly to see the words were not in English - nor were they of any alphabet she could recognise.

"Not of your world." Having observed her interest in his books in silence, Loki answered her unspoken question. "There is no Midgardian literature worthy of our great libraries."

Annoyed both by his slight and the fact there were marvels of the universe right at her fingertips and yet she couldn't read them, Jane carefully laid the book aside. Then after a thought she glanced over the rest before giving an exclamation and reaching for one near-hidden beneath the pile.

"Okay then, explain _Self Help For A Sociopat_h?"

"What?" Loki leant forward, a frown creasing his forehead as his mouth tightened. Then his eyes swept over the well worn book on Aesir magic she waved before him.

"You're a poor liar, Jane Foster." He sniffed as he sank haughtily back into his seat. "And you wouldn't know a sociopath if one sat opposite you."

Biting a retort, Jane pursed her lips and gave him a pointed look.

As he opened his mouth to respond, she waved him away. "Oh no no, there's no need to explain yourself. I get it. You're not a sociopath, because you _feel_. Right? I bet you had a load of _feelings_ when you killed all of those people in New York, huh?"

Loki cast his eyes downwards, saying nothing, but his lip twitched as he fought a smile.

"I bet all those feelings have been a real burden for you as you sit here in your cell." Jane continued, rising back to her feet. "Do they keep you awake at night? Do they haunt you?"

"Not particularly, no." Loki replied crisply, raising smoldering eyes to meet her own. "The attack on Midgard was but a small part of a greater plan. The fate of its inhabitants merely collateral damage in the scheme of things."

"Well I stand corrected then. You're not a sociopath." Jane hissed, ignoring the inner voice that threatened panic and cautioned her to hold her tongue. "You're a fucking psychopath after all, and I should've driven that god-damned dagger through your heart when I had the chance!"

The fiery anger that had given Jane strength to tear those words from her throat, quickly dissipated in the chill wake of silence that followed. Heart fluttering in chest like a frantic bird caught within a fist, she watched Loki in frozen horror, certain his retaliation would be swift and full of pain.

And it was. Though the pain was not hers to bear.

For an instant she saw Loki's supercilious facade falter. The illusion of a gloating, remorseless Prince dropped away, revealing a lonely young man with shadow-dark eyes in a face drained ashen pale; stricken and tormented by his own misdeeds.

Jane opened and closed her mouth wordlessly, stunned by his sudden change in demeanor and unable to grasp what she was seeing. Not knowing which illusion to believe.

But then Loki's contemptuous countenance shifted smoothly back into place as he turned a lazy smile upon her. No sad suffering in his eyes. Nothing but impenetrable coldness, and cruel calculation.

"Well, thank you for today's psychotherapy session, Jane Foster." He said at last, soft voice full of disdain. "But I think I've had quite enough."

"Wh-what?" Jane stuttered. "But we haven't had time -"

"Your beloved comes to check that I haven't eaten you yet. Tell him you're ready to leave." Loki turned his attention to the book at his desk, eyes scanning the text as if she no longer stood before him.

"But.." Jane cast her eyes about the cell, searching for words that couldn't be found written on the walls. "But we haven't even discussed the Bifrost! And your mother -"

"I have a suspicion regarding the Queen's illness which I can investigate by my own means." Loki replied coolly, eyes still on the page before him. "And only the Tesseract can power the Bifrost. There is no assistance I can offer you there."

"Bullshit!" She snapped, inwardly surprised at her own gall but helpless to put a lid on it. "What is this? A little truth suddenly too much for you to bear?"

"Have you not yet realised that your words mean nothing to me?" He snapped, turning to look at her at last. "Your judgement holds less weight than a mote of dust! Your very existence is so fleeting and pointless -"

"Loki!"

The booming voice from beyond the energy shield forced the dark god into reluctant silence, although he continued to hold Jane's gaze as he called, "why hello brother. I was just telling Jane how much I've enjoyed her company."

"Save your fool talk, Liesmith."

Activating the door set in the stone wall, Thor's mighty presence soon filled the cell and Jane couldn't help but cross quickly to his side, glad for his warmth and reassurance as she realised just how hard her heart was hammering in her chest.. And if a part of her saw Loki roll his eyes at her display of mewling weak worthlessness, she pretended not to care for his judgement.

Taking in Jane's pale demeanor, Thor shot Loki a thunderous look. "Why did you speak to Jane thus?"

"Oh, we were just exchanging pleasantries." Loki shrugged. "She called me an evil tyrant, I called her a pathetic mortal... You _must_ have expected as much?"

"Jane, are you alright? Has Loki upset you?" Thor's gaze rested heavy on her and she looked from one brother to the other, realising in that moment how definitively her answer could widen the rift between the two.

"I'm quite fine, thank you. Our opinions have just conflicted on certain matters, namely in regards to genocide" She answered tightly, flicking her gaze back to Loki. "But I'd like to come back tomorrow so we can continue our discussion on the Bifrost."

She smiled at Loki then, and as he raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to deliver a rebuttal, she smoothly cut off his reply. "And then if we have time, I thought we could tackle regicide, patricide and attempted fratricide."

"Oh, well that's a stimulating conversation I look forward to having." Loki offered dryly. "Though I think I recall telling you -"

"That your afternoon is free and you look forward to instructing me on how to stabilise the Tesseract." Jane pressed, determined not to be the one to back down.

"Iridium. A fact you should already know." Loki replied curtly.

"Oddly enough, it's not working so well anymore."

"Well you've lost me then." He waved his hand in dismissal. "Go bug Selvig for answers."

"Wh… _How dare you_!" Jane spluttered then, anger and frustration colliding into a blank wall of despair at Loki's mention of her friend's name. "How dare you speak of Eric? You _ruined_ him!"

Loki looked up at her then, eyes wide with curiosity. "Oh? How so?"

Jane gaped at him, unable to formulate a reply that wouldn't involve screaming.

"Enough of this Loki!" Thor thundered. "I will not permit this foolery to go any further!"

Turning to Jane, he added, "If this is what you've had to endure from my brother, I am truly sorry. Loki has ever used taunts to amuse himself, I should never have agreed to this."

Loki bit his lip against a smug smile, and stared down at his hands as he tried to look contrite. "I too, am sorry Jane."

He looked up as Thor and Jane stared in frank disbelief, then spread his arms out before him, allowing his Cheshire grin to spread. "Well, I tried."

"Your unrepentant idiocy deserves no answer." Thor murmured, placing an arm around Jane's shoulders and tugging her gently towards the door.

Well… That in itself was an answer, you twit." Loki replied contritely as they exited the cell.

Leaving the captive god once again alone with his books, and no one to exchange banter with but the mirror on his prison wall.

* * *

Later that night, as Thor walked Jane to her guest chamber, it occurred to her to ask, "Do you have your dagger on you?"

"Dagger?" Thor looked at her in puzzlement. "Why would I have need of one?"

"What -" Jane felt a chill begin to creep along her spine. "You mean, you don't have a dagger _at all_? A silver dagger?"

Thor laughed, though not unkindly. "Jane I fear my hands are too clumsy for so delicate a weapon. Knife throwing is my brother's area of expertise. Never mine. Why do you ask?"

Jane cast her eyes to the ground, again finding herself faced with the dilemma of whether to tell Thor the truth or a lie.

If she revealed that Loki had either acquired a weapon, or used magic to conjure one, the bonds that held him would be strengthened and her contact with him would be swiftly cut.

For the most part, she'd be grateful for that - relieved to be able to face the Allfather and tell him she couldn't complete this task, and through no fault of her own. The Tesseract was too big for her. For all that she was fascinated by it - for all that she was a woman of science and the chance to work on something like this was beyond her wildest dreams - she was wise enough to be terrified by what she might uncover. She'd seen what had become of Erik through his dealings with it, and she had no aspiration of winding up running naked around monolithic landmarks herself.

And as for working alongside Loki… He was single-handedly the most dangerous, impossible and downright nasty man she'd ever come across. She had no more chance of getting any kind of worthwhile information out of him than she had squeezing blood out of a stone. He'd just as likely lead her down the wrong track just to watch her run in lost circles for his own amusement.

Telling Thor of Loki's behaviour with the dagger, here and now, was the right thing to do. His reckless brother should be given no further opportunity to practice his magic, and especially not on her. She knew that. She _knew_ that.

It wasn't fair. She didn't expect Odin would allow her to remain in Asgard. Not really. She just wanted to enjoy her time here with Thor before she was inevitably packed off back to Earth, as Odin probably intended to do anyway - regardless of her findings.

For all she knew, the Allfather had set her up with an impossible task just for the excuse to send her away. His stance on her relationship with the Crown Prince of Asgard was by no means uncertain, nor was it a secret: As far as he was concerned, there was no relationship, nor ever would be.

So if that was the case… Why not visit with Loki once more and try to convince him to answer _her own_ questions? When else would she ever have such an opportunity to learn, not just of these nine realms, but of worlds that existed beyond them?

"Jane?" Thor broke softly into her thoughts, concern beginning to crease his brow as he watched her gape into thin air.

"Ah, nothing. Just nothing." She replied in a rush. Then upon seeing his hesitancy, "I just thought it would be cool to learn how to use one myself."

Thor raised an eyebrow in surprise before grinning. "Well perhaps that could be arranged."

Jane forced a quick laugh and an awkward murmur of appreciation, but when she kissed him goodbye at her door, she did so with the taste of guilt upon her lips.

And later, when she was lying restless in her bed, a thousand miles from sleep, it was Loki's words that returned to haunt her. Filling her with a chill of unease that turned in a shudder of dread so strong she buried her head into the pillow and gripped her sheets tight, trying - trying to block his voice from her mind.

_"The Gatekeeper is all-seeing. But don't worry, I'm sure your words are quite safe. His loyalty will always be first and foremost to my brother. Of that you can be certain."_

**TBC..**.

* * *

End Note: Maybe I should leave you wondering/guessing at this, but I can't - I have to say that Loki was completely faking it in the scene where he appears to 'drop his illusion' and reveal himself as a lost, misunderstood man. Maybe he does have some deeply-buried remorse for what he did in NY, and maybe we'll get to see that at some point in this fic, but at this point certainly, he doesn't give a lot of fucks. But he _does_ like fucking with other people's feels.

I'm really looking forward to catching up with the prologue and what takes place beyond it, so I hope anyone out there reading this will stick around. (Eh, despite my various plotholes, dead ends and those moments where you have to ask yourself "why am I reading this shit?" *cough cough*)


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